Pieces of Forever

41 - JASON

Jason

"Jason, baby, please . . ." My mom begs as she holds the spoon out in front of me. She's been trying to get me to eat this tomato soup that she made for me and brought to the hospital.

I don't say anything to her as I shake my head no. Since coming out of my coma a couple days ago, I've been wanting to go home. The doctor made it clear to me that, that wasn't happening any time soon.

I clear my throat a little, before speaking. "No." I manage to squeeze out.

My mom sets the spoon back into the bowl and sits down in the chair next to the bed. Her eyes begin to get glossy as she grabs my hand and rubs the back of it.

"Mom . . . " I let out weakly.

"Baby, save your energy." She gives me a sad smile. "I'm just glad to see that you're out of the coma. The doctor said that you will have to start going to physical therapy."

Tears come to my eyes, listening to her words. I'm happy that I made it out of my coma with very little organ damage, but this shit does something to me. The last thing I remember is falling to the ground, fighting to breathe. Everything was happening in slow motion, after I hit the sand. I heard the screams, cries, and I saw Mel. Mel was the last person that I saw. Her face was wet with tears, dripping down her chin. I remember her squeezing my hand and her horrific screams. I close my eyes to block the images out of my head.

"Hey, Ms. Evelyn."

My eyes shoot opens the moment that I hear her voice. Mel had just walked into my room, holding a bouquet of roses. She gives me a tiny smile, before setting the roses down in the spare chair. I can't take my eyes off her, because I haven't seen her in the last couple days. The night she came up here was the last time that I saw her.

My mom stands up, when Mel gets near and they exchange hugs with one another. "How are you, sweetie?"

"Great. Thanks for asking." Mel sneaks a couple glances my way.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone to visit. I'm about to get a coffee. Maybe you can get him to eat some of the tomato soup that I made for him." She turns around to look at me, before exiting out of my room and closing the door.

Mel sits in the chair that my mom was sitting in. Licking her lips, she exhales quietly.

"Sit with me." I move my legs in the bed a little to make room for her.

Mel stands up and sits on the edge bed with me. She looks into my eyes and begins smiling a little. Her smile is so infectious, because I instantly begin grinning from ear to ear.

"Lay with me." I whisper.

"Where, Jason?" She questions as she looks at the little amount of room that I'm giving her in the bed.

I try to move over to the edge of the bed, wincing a little from the pain that I feel shooting up and down my body. The pain medication that I'm taking does little to ease my pain.

"Jason . . . " Mel places her hand on my chest. "You don't have to do all that."

"Lay with me." I repeat to her. She now has a little room to curl up with me in the bed and lay on me.

Mel looks at me briefly, before slipping her shoes off and getting into the hospital bed with me. She lays on her side, facing me. I can see how she's struggling not to touch me from fear that she will hurt me. She slowly rests her hand on my chest.

"Fuck, Mel!" I grunt out, scaring her. She quickly pulls her hand back, afraid that she caused me any sort of pain. I let out a laugh at her reaction.

Mel smacks her lips and narrow her eyes at me. "Don't be an ass, Jason. Stop cackling."

I grab her hand, placing it on my chest where she had it originally. "I'm not going to break." I close my eyes, resisting the urge to stay up and visit with her. My body feels weak and as much as I would love to stay up with her, I won't be able to.

"Are you going to sleep, Jay baby?" She whispers against my ear.

I open my eyes and turn to the side to look at her face. "I love you."

Mel just continues to look at me with no reaction in her face or eyes. I lick my lips a little, squeezing her hand a little. "I need rest. Stay." Is all that I manage to get out, before I finally drift off into a deep sleep.

*****

I open my eyes to Mel snoring quietly, laying next to me. Her hand is still on my chest and her mouth is opened slightly. I stare at her, before moving my gaze to her stomach. I ease my hand to her belly and rub her stomach.

The moment that I place my hand on her stomach, I feel a tiny kick. A tiny smile comes onto my face, feeling the baby move around her. I continue to look at her stomach and follow the baby movements with my hand. I so badly want to kiss her stomach and talk to the baby that she's carrying. I want to apologize to the baby for already being a dead beat father. I will do better. I think to myself, feeling the kicks from my baby.

Mel moves closer to me, trying to get more comfortable. I wish that I could hold her like old times. I wish that we were in the basement, cuddled up somewhere.

"Jay, boo." Kerri whispers loudly, walking into the room with a big stupid teddy bear.

I let out a little chuckle as she sets the bear at the foot of the bed.

"Hey, baby." I manage to get out.

Kerri eyes Mel laying with me, before she gives me a loose hug. She pulls a chair up to my side of the bed and sits on it Indian style with a goofy grin on her face.

"How are you?" She gives me her full attention.

I shrug my shoulders. I'm not in the mood to talk much. I can barely say two words without feeling like I've ran a marathon. If I'm to talk, it will be with Melissa.

Kerri leans back in her sit, watching as I continue to rub Mel's stomach. My baby has stopped kicking, but I want to continue to feel the kicks.

"My baby was kicking." I say, quietly.

"Your baby?" She smiles knowingly. "What have I missed?"

I ignore Kerri, closing my eyes.

"Cameron bought her a ring, before you came to Chicago." Her words catch my attention and I instantly open my eyes, focusing on her. "An engagement ring. Mel found it some time ago. I'm only telling you now, because I see that maybe there's a little hope."

I nod my head a little.

"If you two do get back together, please make sure that this is what you want. I've seen how you have been behaving with Ashlee and the other one." She chooses her words carefully. "Mel is in a good place. So, if you choose to make it work with her, I hope that you understand that you will have to forgive her."

"I can." I want to forgive her, and I want her to forgive me. I have always wanted us to be great together. I've never wanted to be without her.

Mel stirs in her sleep. She pushes my hand off her stomach.

"He hasn't proposed yet?" I ask to make sure that I understand exactly what's going on with them.

"Not to my knowledge, but she sounded a little confused on rather or not to accept the proposal." Kerri looks into my eyes, letting me know that I don't have much time. "You have your work cut out for you, baby."

"I know."

Mel fell in love with me once, and I'm sure that I can make her fall again. We'll just have to start from the beginning, which is building a friendship. I turn my head to look at her face. Her snores are a little louder as she breathes onto my face. I will fight hard for her, because one thing that I do know is that I want to spend the rest of my life with this girl.